Samsung Knocks On LG's door with new smartphone unlock idea

Apparently being able to use a fingerprint, password, PIN, face or pattern to unlock a smartphone isn't enough as Samsung has now patented a new method.

The patent explains that users will be able to wake up or unlock a phone when the screen is off by drawing a shape with at least one intersection in it.

If that sounds familiar it's because LG has just launched a new unlocking method of its own called Knock Code, which again works with the screen off, but rather than creating a shape you tap out a series of knocks.

Muscle memory

According to Samsung's patent it doesn't matter what size, shape or orientation the pattern has, so it should be easy to draw.

A new way to unlock? (Credit: USPTO)

All that matters is that it has at least one intersection and by saving multiple patterns with different numbers of intersections users would be able to jump straight to specific apps or phone functions by entering a different pattern.

So for example one intersection might just unlock the phone, while two intersections would launch the camera and three would take you straight to the web browser.

At the moment this is just a patent, so it's anyone's guess if and when it will actually be implemented into the Galaxy S5 or any future Samsung phones, but on paper it makes a lot of sense, even if it is suspiciously close to LG's idea.